Overview

_The Committee had, unquestionably, made a mistake. There was no doubt that Edie had achieved the long-sought cancer cure ... but awarding the Nobel Prize was, nonetheless, a mistake ..._

The letter from America arrived too late. The Committee had regardedacceptance as a foregone conclusion, for no one since Boris Pasternakhad turned down a Nobel Prize. So when Professor Doctor Nels Christiansonopened the letter, there was not the slightest fear on his part, or on thatof his fellow committeemen, Dr. Eric Carlstrom and Dr. Sven Eklund, thatthe letter would be anything other than the usual routine acceptance.

"At last we learn the identity of this great research worker," Christiansonmurmured as he scanned the closely typed sheets. Carlstrom and Eklundwaited impatiently, wondering at the peculiar expression that fixed itselfon Christianson's face. Fine beads of sweat appeared on the professor'shigh narrow forehead as he laid the letter down. "Well," he said heavily,"now we know."

"Know what?" Eklund demanded. "What does it say? Does she accept?"

"She accepts," Christianson said in a peculiar half-strangled tone as hepassed the letter to Eklund. "See for yourself."

Eklund's reaction was different. His face was a mottled reddish white ashe finished the letter and handed it across the table to Carlstrom. "Why,"he demanded of no one in particular, "did this have to happen to us?"

"It was bound to happen sometime," Carlstrom said. "It's just ourmisfortune that it happened to us." He chuckled as he passed the letterback to Christianson. "At least this year the presentation should be anevent worth remembering."

"It seems that we have a little problem," Christianson said, making whatwould probably be the understatement of the century. Possibly there wouldbe greater understatements in the remaining ninety-nine years of theTwenty-first Century, but Carlstrom doubted it. "We certainly have ournecks out," he agreed.

"We can hardly do anything else," Christianson said. "There's noquestion as to the identity of the winner. Dr. Hanson's letter makesthat unmistakably clear. And there's no question that the award isdeserved."